To date, motorcycles are equipped with a manually shiftable gear transmission. Typically, shifting of the transmission is done by manipulation of a lever with a foot of the driver. Motorcycle transmission levers are, to date, universally on the left side of the transmission case, so it is manipulated with the left foot. The gear shift lever is positioned so the gear shift lever is engaged by the top of the rider's foot, at a location adjacent or rearward of the knuckle of the big toe. The left shoe or boot of a motorcycle rider is accordingly worn in a characteristic pattern by manipulating the gear shift lever.
A simple footwear protective device that is widely used by practical motorcycle riders is simply a large athletic sock that is big enough to pass over the rider's footwear. Often, the rider cuts the sock to leave a band of fabric of 3″ or so wide, or of sufficient width to extend from about the knuckle of the big toe to or intermediate any shoe lacings. There are many problems with socks as shoe protectors. They don't stay on the foot well at all because the only thing holding them on is the elasticity of the sock fabric and because they tend to roll up. Socks used in this manner quickly become unsightly because they get so dirty they cannot be washed and they unravel.
In response to this problem, a number of footwear protective devices have been proposed in the prior art, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,644; 5,855,078; 5,873,185 and 6,286,234. A similar structure is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,651.